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54 Comments
- zyl0x, on 10/10/2007, -3/+21I just had to sign in to say this:
You people are a bunch of Negative Nancies. Which one of you idiots said "who takes a laptop camping?" Since when did outdoors = camping? Or did you forget that some people actually go outside just for the sake of going outside? Plenty of people work in their backyards, or if they're lucky, on a beach.
This is a step in a process. We need to start somewhere, and as far as environmentally-friendly, portable power goes, this is an incredible step. Imagine instead of spare batteries you could carry a small solar/wind generator and set it up next to you? No time limit. As long as it's sunny/windy you've got battery life. Maybe some of you would rather carry batteries, but you're obviously too selfish to understand how wasteful and damaging chemical battery products are to the environment, *****. - RetroRufio, on 10/10/2007, -1/+12I mean for real!
If I have my own wind turbine, I'm taking my desktop! - mstoneburner, on 10/10/2007, -2/+9That thing looks heavy and bulky. It's probably easier just to carry extra batteries.
- ginkoginko, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8Totally agree...
Aid workers, Rescue Teams... this looks lightweight enough to carry around with you. Sunlight is not always available, so this gives you an option of having power during the night... - CraigJ, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7back in the day we had an RV and I would bring my desktop on trips. I bring my laptop, camera and iPod EVERYWHERE.
- robotsongs, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6If the pretty-haired girl comes with it I'm in for 7.
- elvisjulep, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7This is the kind of crap you find in those SkyMall catalogs on commercial jets, selling for about $165 from some company with a name like "Windventions - Wind-based products to enhance your daily life".
Thanks, but I'll use a battery. - Nikonian, on 08/17/2008, -0/+5and my TV and my Xbox360.
- conedude13, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5The same kind of person that brings the tv, xbox360, ds lite, dvd's, hd dvd player, 6:1 surround sound speakers, 500 disc cd changer and receiver.
- law1ess, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5I'll stick with the solar power chargers..
- Alphateam, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5If I had a $1 for every cool prototype posted on here that never went anywhere I'd be a rich guy.
- GDLaws, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4http://www.protravelgear.com/store/electronics/cell_phone_accessories/sidewinder_hand_powered_emergency_cell_phone_charger.cfm
- wendelgee2, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5Still too big.
- danielf30, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I take a laptop camping :)
Me and my wife take lots of pictures and it's nice to be able to dump all the pictures each day or so and have the camera's memory free for more pics the next day. Yes I have upgraded the memory in the camera, I can take over 160 pics at the highest settings. Also It's nice to have all my maps on the laptop as well. And for MP3 storage, so I do not have to listen to the same 1 - 4GB of songs for the whole trip.
I have plenty of silly reasons to carry my laptop camping :) - jotate, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Bulky, yeah. But I really doubt it's heavy. It's a tiny windmill, ffs, it can't be heavy.
- ChayD, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2How could a plastic and fabric thing the size of an umbrella be called bulky and heavy??
- Hosalabad, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Wow. Stupid.
- stronglikedan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2buried for having ugly hippie chick as model
- rocke86, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Road trips? if you don't have a cigarette lighter than I guess you could just mount it to the roof.
- kushed, on 10/10/2007, -5/+6STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID, (better idea, Hand crank.)
- liuite, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1i am holding out for the beanie turbine cap
- Sharky35, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1If It's Not Scottish, It's Crap!
- BobMysterioso, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Winventions eh? Clearly you've spent some time reading the SkyMall, you are completely accurate.
I'm off to register windventions.com - shartman, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I guess.... If you are an idiot!
- LoboJpm, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Here's another idea along the same lines, but uses sun rather than wind (and is WAY smaller):
http://www.solio.com
I have one so here's a real quick mini-review:
I don't think it will charge a laptop, but it comes with connectors for almost any kind of cell phone. It takes quite a while to charge it via the sun, but it does charge eventually with the sun. The other thing I like about it is that if you charge it up (either via the sun or the included charger which charges it quickly from the wall), then you can use it as a backup power-up and it is very portable and holds a charge for a long time. They say it holds it for 6 months, and so far I believe it. You can also use the device while it's charging, so if you wanted to play your iPod on the beach and have the battery drain less quickly, it would be a good option. It looks pretty cool too.
The wind one looks interesting too, but as mentioned, seems cumbersome. The solio I just throw in my backpack and barely notice it. - 3leggedHorse, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Powerfull solar cells on your laptop lid would not be a bad idea.
- ChayD, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1True, but they'd probably cost quite a bit for one with an output decent enough (read crystalline silicon rather than amorphous silicon) to charge a laptop up within a reasonably quick time.
- terminalpariah, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag6UAlVlJJc
I've got a long bus ride home and I didn't bring my charger to work. I need this! - Mahr, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1It looks to be about the same size as one of those commanders chairs you get at Target for 20.00. I bring those on car camping trips. It'll weight a little bit as there needs to be some kind of electricity generator and power conditioner, but it clearly isn't producing a ton of power so those compoenents should be really small.
If I could plugin a lamp for the evening, that'd save me bringing one of those gas coleman lamps. - Dumbledorito, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Make it a beanie-copter hat, and I'm in!
- fuzzylogicpsu, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1This is a good idea, but with current technology, solar is more efficient (as far as power vs. weight and size) at powering small electronics. I'd be willing to bet that solar cells produce more power (watts) per unit weight (lbs) than any wind powered generator.
- cygnus2112, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Although a neat idea.. still impractical. Let's see.. campfire + smoke + spinning loud cloth windmill = you will be a favorite at campgrounds!
I'd love to see more time spent on solar and windmill attachments and standardization for cars, boats, etc. It seems more practical to have a device that is attached to your car/van/RV/netzero boat and extends upward and recharge at your vehicle than on carrying around a huge pole while backpacking. - ChayD, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Hear hear. Batteries run out. This doesn't (well, it would mechanically wear out, eventually, but not for a long time)
- Rustbelt, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1A hand crank would be better and faster. Unless you stuck this windmill thing through the sunroof and drove 60 miles an hour.
- CalmLlama, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I could use it to power a stereo and play slayer music to scare all the hippies away...
- picsectionpleez, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1i'd hit that ass
- misterqed, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1A workable wind power source would be nice, but this isn't it. The only place I can see this working is on the beach or a mountain top. I go outdoors a lot but I can't see when I could use this. Wind power near the ground is nearly zero unless there are no trees around, so I hope there are a lot of poles in that bag. I got excited for a second and thought it was a kite that worked like an autogyro. I think that could be smaller and work in more areas. I agree with most submitters, solar kills this, unless you are on the beach or mountain top in the dark. If you want real power camping, maybe a sterling generator running off the campfire.
- CrimsonBlur, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Well you're assuming it is bulky and heavy. It isn't exactly small, but it looks really light. I wonder why they didn't make the pole more of a telescoping pole (think umbrellas, they seem to stay pretty stiff), that would make it much more compact.
- UPSLynx, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Let's hear it for the terrible radial blur on all of the images...
- voyvf, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1i'd be more excited if it were available for purchase right now.
as it is, i'll just use a solar charger when i go camping. (hey, just because i'm on vacation doesn't mean that i can't code.) - bovious, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2From the award site, I like the way they finesse the "disadvantages" by saying that the disadvantages of converting the wind to electric energy are "none". OK, but how about the disadvantages of your product? Like maybe it's bulky and heavy?
- Logicexe, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Not a bad idea, but it's use would probably be very limited. I doubt anyone is going to slug this thing around when going to the park, but it could be more useful than a solar cell while camping considering that you can get power all the time. Now of course, you could always put a battery on the solar cell, but batteries are heavy, bulky and expensive. Now this thing isn't exactly the pinnacle of ergonomic design, but considering how it can easily be slipped in between backpacks and stuff it might be easier to carry around than a portable solar panel with a battery.
- harrygoaz, on 12/12/2007, -0/+0I wonder if it's too heavy.
It will probably work best in the mountains where wind is stronger.
http://www.reviewsofcellphones.com/samsung - Bove, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2is this a joke...
- peterjez, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Assuming there is any wind...
- MightyTonto, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Handy and accessible...nice
- Spuy767, on 10/10/2007, -4/+4Q) Who in the ***** is going to use this? A) No one.
- CraigJ, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1The Chinese Mafia might have something to say about that.
- jbird123, on 11/15/2007, -0/+0mate, you have a point, but you seem to be forgetting, this is DIGG!
- inactive, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1....perfect device.....for people stupid enough to buy carbon offsets
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Show 51 - 54 of 54 discussions
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